Digital Assistants stories
Drivers will be able to book tickets and order food by voice as Banma and Alipay bring hands-free payments into connected cars.
Travellers can now compare 4,000 ferry routes in ChatGPT, as the booking service pushes a fragmented market into AI planning tools.
Users may notice fewer errors as the chatbot’s default switches to GPT-5.5 Instant, which OpenAI says cuts hallucinations by 52.5%.
Adults using ChatGPT can now name a trusted contact, giving OpenAI a new way to alert someone in serious self-harm cases.
Retailers face a shift in trust as 64% of Gen Z shoppers buy on AI recommendations without checking other sources, a study finds.
Automated safety checks and complaint handling are already cutting delays and risks as the steelmaker scales agentic AI across operations.
Households facing rising AI fraud risks are the target of a new family assistant as the firm shifts its consumer unit around digital safety.
As AI agents spread across workplaces, static credentials are proving too risky for sensitive tasks and customer-facing systems.
The new platform aims to cut routine bookkeeping for small firms by automating payments, reconciliation and tax prep while keeping users in control.
By handling emails, calendars and routine requests in the background, the tool aims to cut admin for businesses wary of autonomous AI risks.
The hotel group expects the new system to unify guest data and privacy controls across 640 properties, with full rollout due in 2026.
Customers can now get tailored content and AI search in Sitefinity, as Progress adds governed personalisation and conversational tools.
Online advertising faces pressure as autonomous AI agents could soon handle searches, payments and negotiations on users’ behalf.
Shoppers using ChatGPT can now compare products side by side as OpenAI widens access to merchant-supplied pricing, reviews and features.
Agentic AI promises effortless digital delegation, but its admin-level access to data and systems creates profound privacy and security risks.
Trust still trumps speed for refunds and complaints, with 90% of UK shoppers preferring human help on complex retail issues.
AI-driven purchases are raising fraud and compliance concerns as Fime seeks to give merchants and banks a neutral way to verify them.
Diners in New Zealand can now skip several booking sites as Search surfaces tables with live availability and links straight to reservations.
Running on standard CPUs, the on-device system could make lifelike avatars practical for games, training and virtual assistants at scale.
Kiwis can now use voice and camera prompts in Google’s AI search tool, which is rolling out across more than 200 countries and territories.